Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Carino Care at Sylvania is 4.15 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
64% positive in 2026, compared with 100% in 2025: 36 percentage points lower.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2026 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2026 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Carino Care at Sylvania provide?
Carino Care at Sylvania reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 9 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Carino Care at Sylvania met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 218 to 245 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 228 minutes, personal care workers provided 179 (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 21.5%). In the same quarter, Carino Care at Sylvania also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Carino Care at Sylvania?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether the home is well run, 71% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Sylvania answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 88.1% average across other homes by 17.1 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (86% against 94.4%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (79% against 84.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 57% answered “always”, 14% “most of the time”, 21% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Carino Care at Sylvania were asked whether they feel safe, 86% answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Carino Care at Sylvania?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 64% of residents surveyed at Carino Care at Sylvania said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2025. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Carino Care at Sylvania spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Carino Care at Sylvania, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
64% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Carino Care at Sylvania spend on resident care?
Total spending at Carino Care at Sylvania in the 2024–25 financial year was $401.24 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.93 was 1% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included administration ($38.45), accommodation and maintenance ($36.37), and cleaning and laundry ($24.32) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($160.87) and registered nurses ($56.70).
